Sara Raza frequently participates in a variety of speaking opportunities such as lectures, panels, and tours. She also teaches at the Yale School of Art and New York University’s Institute of Fine Arts, Interactive Masters Telecommunications Program and Media Cultures and Communications. She previously taught at the School of Visual Arts ‘ Master’s Curatorial Practice Program in New York.
Fashion Institute of Technology, New York, Apr 2025, a panel discussion on “The State of the Museum” with Ashley James, Associate Curator, Contemporary Art, Guggenheim Museum, NY; Andrea Achi, Associate Curator of Byzantine Art, The Met Museum, NYC; Eric Shiner, President of Powerhouse Arts, Brooklyn, NY; and
Sara Raza, Artistic Director and Chief Curator of the Center for Contemporary Art in Tashkent, Uzbekistan.
Georgetown University & Qatar Museums Doha, Qatar, Nov 2024, a panel discussion on the topic of Curators in Conversation, on the occasion of the exhibition Seeing Is Believing at Mathaf Museum of Modern Arab Art, with Emily Weeks, Giles Hudson, and Alain Fouad George.
World Conference on Creative Economy, Tashkent, Uzbekistan, Oct 2024, in conversation with HE Al Mayassa bint Hamad Khalifa Al-Thani on the topic of Orientalism After Orientalism.
Virginia Commonwealth University, Doha, Qatar, Oct 2024, guest lecture in the frames of Punk Orientalism: The Art of Rebellion international book tour.
Richard Saltoun Gallery, New York, Sept 2024, in conversation with Hettie Judah on the occasion of her US book launch Acts of Creation, (Thames & Hudson).
Hayy Jameel, Jeddah, Saudi Arabia, Apr 2024 guest curated public program weekend series including a conversation with Rotana Shaker in the frames of Punk Orientalism: The Art of Rebellion international book tour, curatorial workshop and conversation with Bricklab architecture studio on the topic of public space and public time.
Diriyah Biennial Foundation, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, Apr 2024 one week intensive mentoring workshop for young professionals with artists Ahmed Mater, Abdulnasser Gharem, Mashael Al Saie, SAMoCA and Yayoi Shionoiri.
National Museum of Qatar, Doha, Qatar, Feb 2024 panel discussion with curators and academics Khulood Al Fahad (Qatar Museums), Nadia Radwan (art historian), and Julia Gonnella (Lusail Museum).
Alserkal Avenue, Dubai, UAE, Feb 2024 in conversation with artist Mandy El-Sayegh
LawrieShabibi, Dubai, UAE, Feb 2024 curatorial tour and talk with artists Mandy El-Sayegh & Sami El-Enany
Yale University, New Haven, CT, Nov 2023 guest seminar for MA Critical Practices on Curating & Museum Collecting Practices.
Museum of Fine Arts, Houston (MAFH), Houston, TX, Oct 2023 guest lecture in the frames of Punk Orientalism: The Art of Rebellion international book tour.
Rhode Island School of Art (RISD), Providence, RI, Sept 2023 guest lecture in the frames of Punk Orientalism: The Art of Rebellion international book tour.
International Center of Photography, New York, Jun 2023 in conversation with Collier Schorr in the frames of the exhibition Love Songs: Photography and Intimacy.
Tate Modern, London, Feb 2023 in conversation with Dina Akhmadeeva in the frames of Punk Orientalism: The Art of Rebellion international book tour.
Publics, Helsinki, Finland, Feb 2023 guest lecture in the frames of Punk Orientalism: The Art of Rebellion international book tour.
Al Serkal Avenue, Dubai, Feb 2023 in conversation with Ala Younis in the frames of Punk Orientalism: The Art of Rebellion international book tour.
AA School of Architecture, London, Feb 2023 in conversation with Aikaterini Gegisian, moderated by Professor Katy Deepwell on the topic of Art, Punk, and Feminist Public Space and Time in the frames of Punk Orientalism: The Art of Rebellion international book tour.
AA School of Architecture, London Feb 2023 Graduate seminar on Cultures of Interruptions in the frames of Punk Orientalism: The Art of Rebellion international book tour.
New York Public Library Stavros Niarchos Foundation and Independent Curators International Jan 2023 in conversation with Margot Norton, Senior Curator at New Museum, in the frames of Punk Orientalism: The Art of Rebellion international book tour.
Centre for Contemporary Arts, Tashkent, Uzbekistan, Dec 2022 Central Asian book launch for Punk Orientalism: The Art of Rebellion international book tour.
Goldsmiths College, University of London, Nov 2022 guest lecture on Curatorial Practices within the frames of Punk Orientalism: The Art of Rebellion international book tour.
University of Cambridge, History of Art and Architecture, Cambridge, UK, Nov 2022 guest lecture on Cultures of Interruptions within the frames of Punk Orientalism: The Art of Rebellion international book tour.
South London Gallery, London Nov 2022 in conversation with Catherine Wood Programme Director Tate Modern for the book launch of Punk Orientalism: the Art of Rebellion.
MoMA, Museum of Modern Art, New York, Oct 2022 guest presentation for CMAP of Punk Orientalism: The Art of Rebellion.
International Center of Photography, New York, Nov 2022 in conversation with NYTimes critic Siddhartha Mitter in the frames of Punk Orientalism: The Art of Rebellion international book tour.
Nuova Accademia di Belle Arti, Milan, Jul 2022 guest lecture for the Masters in Curatorial Studies Program.
Uzbekistan Pavilion at the 59th Venice Biennale, Italy, Jul 2022, co-curator of The Panoptic Garden a one-week intensive public program with Andris Brinkmanis (Milan, NABA) that focuses on transcultural themes relating to the garden as a discursive space through the lens of utopia, heterotopia, and dystopia. Guests include: Nadia Kaabi-Linke (Berlin/Kiev), Ami Mehta and Sophia Baker (NYU ITP MA), Munisa Kholkhujaeva and Leonardo Zappala (NABA MA), Nomeda & Gediminas Urbonas (Lithuania), Matteo Pasquinelli (Karlsruhe), Algorithmic Perfumery (Netherlands/US), Anton Ginzburg (New York) and Ergin Çavuşoğlu (London/Istanbul).
The Interdisciplinary Art and Theory Program, New York, Sept 2020, (fall Distinguished Faculty Lecture) on Global Art and Visual Cultures from the Venice Biennial to the Guggenheim.
RiseUp Summit, American University of Cairo, Egypt, Dec 2019, (keynote lecture) Curating the Contemporary MENA.
National Arts Club, New York, Nov 2019, (panel discussion) on Art and Activism with Aliza Shavarts, Grace Aneiza Ali & Leila A. Amineddoleh.
SVA, New York, USA, Nov 2019, (guest lecture) for MA Curatorial Program.
New York University, Interactive Telecommunications Program, New York, USA, Oct 2019, (guest lecture) for MA Program.
Art World Conference, New York Law School, Apr 2019, a panel discussion on Defining Your Business: Story Telling with JiaJia Fei, Antwaun Sargent & Hrag Vartanian, moderated by Tiana Webb Evans.
ING Creatives Festival, Dubai Design District, Apr 2019, keynote lecture on curatorial practice in the Middle East and its diaspora and workshop intensive on career development for creatives.
Mana Contemporary, NJ, USA, Apr 2019, in conversation with curator Xiaoyu Weng, curator of the 5th Ural Industrial Biennial of Art.
Mana Contemporary, NJ, USA, Feb 2019, in conversation with Eugenie Tsai, senior curator of contemporary art at the Brooklyn Museum.
Mana Contemporary, NJ, USA, Nov 2018, in conversation with Justine Ludwig, executive director of Creative Time, New York, on art and social practices.
HKAGA Art Symposium, Hong Kong, Nov 2018, panelists on How are Western Museum collecting and understanding Contemporary Art from Asia? with Boon Hui Tan, Director of Asia Society Museum, Victoria Sung, Assistant Curator of Visual Arts, Walker Art Centre, Alan Lau, Collector and Member of M+ Board, and Catherine Kwai, Founder of Kwai Fung Hin Art Gallery. Moderated by Raymond Tang, Curator (Hong Kong Art), Hong Kong Museum of Art.
Al Burda Festival, Abu Dhabi, Nov 2018, chair of the panel Cultural Organizations in the Digital Era with panelists Fareed A. Al-Ali, Chairman, Kuwait Islamic Art Center, Kuwait, and Dr. Henry Kim, Director and CEO, Aga Khan Museum, Canada.
Mana Contemporary, NJ, USA, Nov 2018, chair of the panel Current Thinking on Arts and Funding for Artists and Creatives with Deana Haggag President and CEO of United States Artists and NY based artist James Clar.
MacKenzie Art Gallery, Canada, Nov 2018, curatorial lecture on the occasion of the exhibition Punk Orientalism and conversation with artists Shahpour Pouyan and Babi Badalov.
MiArt, Milan, Italy, Apr 2018, panelist Social Imaginary vs Institutional Imaginary with Nicolaus Schafhausen, & Fatos Üstek.
NABA University, Milan, Italy, Mar 2018, guest lecture for the global visiting guest lecture series.
John F. Kennedy Center, Washington DC, Mar 2018 panelist for The Evolution of Levantine Art, with Michael Jeha, Ghada Amer & Salah Barakat.
Duke University, NC, Durham, Feb 2018, guest lecture and conference participant for InTransit: Art & Migration.
Contemporary Calgary, Calgary, Canada, Sept 2017, conference paper Black Ink, White Text, as part of the international symposium What (Else) Can Art Writing Do?
The Whitney Museum of American Art, New York, Apr, 2017 (part of the Whitney Biennial programming) in conversation with Basma Alsharif
The Mackenzie Art Gallery, Apr, Saskatchewan, Canada, 2017, guest lecture (part of the art conversations series) Site & Specificity: The Cross-Circulation of Art & Ideas.
The University of Sydney, Australia, Nov, 2016, Keynote speaker for Centre 4A Contemporary Asian Art’s 20 year anniversary co-organized by the Power Institute, Sydney University, the Asian Australian Studies Research Network and the China Studies Centre.
The Phillips Collection, Washington D.C., Oct, 2016, Migrations/ Immigration: International Forum, on the subject of Jacob Lawrence’s Migration Series.
The Philadelphia Art Museum, Philadelphia, Sept, 2016, Museum as Score, on the subject of the Shiraz Art Festivals (1967-77).
Asia Cultural Centre, Gwangju, Korea, Sept, 2016, Rational Ethics: The Curator as an Agent or Double Agent? Organized by the International Curators Forum within the frames of the Gwangju Biennale.
Guggenheim Museum, Sept, 2016 (De)coupling as Discourse on the Global South symposium that explored the autonomous rise of the Global South and contemporary art practices outside of the Euro-Americancentric framework.
Guggenheim Museum, Jul, 2016, Conversations at the Crossroads Series: In conversation with Professor Talinn Grigor (UC Davis) on the subject of art & architecture. Within the frames of the exhibition But a Storm is Blowing from Paradise.
Guggenheim Museum, Jul, 2016, An Evening with artists Ori Gersht & Zineb Sedira. Within the frames of the exhibition But a Storm is Blowing from Paradise.
Guggenheim Museum, Jun, 2016, Conversations at the Crossroads Series: In conversation with Professor Tim Cresswell (Northeastern University), on the subject of art & geography. Within the frames of the exhibition But a Storm is Blowing from Paradise.
Guggenheim Museum, May, 2016, Conversations at the Crossroads Series: In conversation with Professor Joseph Masad (Columbia University), on the subject of histories & colonialism. Within the frames of the exhibition But a Storm is Blowing from Paradise.
Guggenheim Museum, Apr, 2016, The Built, Unbuilt & Unbuildable (panel discussion) with artists Ahmed Mater & Ala Younis, chaired by Troy Conrad Therrien (curator of architecture & digital initiatives at Guggenheim). Within the frames of the exhibition But a Storm is Blowing from Paradise.
Freer Sackler, The Smithsonian’s Museum of Asian Art, Mar, 2016, Symbolic Cities in conversation with artist Ahmed Mater & curator Carol Huh.
New York University, Mar, 2016, Post Oil States guest lecture.
New Museum, New York, Feb, 2016, Staring Back at the Sun panel discussion.
New York University, Jan, 2016, Museums in a Global Context guest lecture.
Museum of Fine Arts, Houston, TX, Oct, 2015, West & Centre: Cross-Circulating Curatorial Practices.
Wolfsberg UBS Art Summit, Switzerland, Sept, 2015, How Near is the Middle East? lecture & panel discussion.
YARAT Contemporary Arts Space, Baku, Aug 2015, DIY Artist Run Spaces, in conversation with Nazrin Mammadova & Farhad Farzaliyev.
YARAT Contemporary Arts Space, Baku, June 2015, Liquid Breeding, in-conversation with artist Ergin Cavusoglu
Safina Radio Project, 56th Venice Biennale, May 2015, in conversation with visual artist Wafaa Bilal
Invisible Pavilion, IADA Talks, 56th Venice Biennale, May 2015, chair of talks on arts education with Nina Mahdavi, Caspian Art Foundation, IADA, ArtBat Festival, Kazakhstan.
Davis Museum, Wellesley College, Boston, USA, April 2015, Art and Reality: A Symposium on Contemporary Middle Eastern Art in Context, with Dr Nada Shabout, Omar Kholeif, Vassilis Oikonomopoulos & Dr Ladan Akbarnia.
Armory Art Fair, NY, USA, March 2015, panel discussion Regional Attaches with Nora Razian, Basak Senova & Chen Tamir.
YARAT Contemporary Art Organisation, Baku, Azerbaijan, March 2015, panel discussion Arts Education in Azerbaijan with Suad Garayeva, Shirin Neshat & Aida Mahmudova.
Vienna Art Fair, Austria, October 2014, panel discussion Generation: Baku.
YARAT Contemporary Art Organisation, Baku, Azerbaijan, May 2014, guest lecture, Curators Want to Be Artists & Artists Want to Be Curators.
The Archive, Dubai, UAE, Mar 2014, panel discussion (chair) Public Art & Time, with artist Wafaa Bilal and artist and Yarat founder Aida Mahmudova.
Casa Arabe, Madrid, Spain, Feb 2014, a panel discussion entitled New Art Market Scenarios: The Emerging Scene in Saudi Arabia, with artist Ayman Yossri and collector Basma Al Sulaiman.
Institut du Monde Arabe, Paris, Sept 2013, panel discussions (curator & chair) Innovation & Evolution: Contemporary Design in Dubai Now with Cyril Zammit, Fair Director of Design Days Dubai, designer Khalid Shafar, Anarchitect co-founder Tarik Al Zaharna, and architect and designer Marc Aurel,
Institut du Monde Arabe, Paris, Sept 2013 Cultural Hubs, Incubators & Alternative Art Spaces, with Rashid Bin Shabib, Giuseppe Moscatello, Manager of Maraya Art Centre; Barjeel Art Foundation’s curator and manager, Mandy Merzban; and independent curator and former Artists-in-Residence Dubai curator-in-residence Alexander MacGilp.
Zayed University, Dubai, Mar 2013 panel discussion (chair) The Hierarchy of Being: Public Art, Space and Time with artist Wafaa Bilal, James Crawford and Alexander Turner (Royal College of Art).
Alaan Artspace, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, Oct 2012 chair on panel on SoftPower exhibition with Sarah Abu Abdallah, Manal Al Dowayan and Giuseppe Moscatello.
Vienna Art Fair, Vienna Austria, Sept 2012 panelist on Central Asian new art scenes.
BBC World Service, London, Sept 2012 in conversation with Samira Ahmed.
Sotheby’s Institute of Art, London, Apr 2012, guest lecture on Central Asia’s post-Soviet Art Revolution.
Royal College of Art, London, Mar 2012, guest lecture on Migrasophia exhibition.
American University of Sharjah, UAE, Mar 2012, in conversation with Taus Makhacheva.
Lawrieshabibi Gallery, Dubai, Mar 2012, in conversation with Nadia Kaabe-Linke.
India Art Fair Speaker’s Forum, New Delhi, Jan 2012, in conversation with Bharti Kher, Marc Quinn and A. Bala.
Cultural Now Institute of Contemporary Arts, Nov 2011, London in-conversation with Ergin Cavusoglu, in collaboration with Asian Art in London and ArtAsiaPacific.
Studio Shezad Dawood, London, Nov 2011, in-conversation with Shezad Dawood, in collaboration with Asian Art in London and ArtAsiaPacific.
2nd International Uzbek-British Women’s Business & Cultural Forum, Oct 2011: Central Asian Contemporary Art Market, Tashkent, Uzbekistan
Calvert 22, London, Oct 2011, guest lecture on Central Asian Contemporary Art in Context, to coincide with the exhibition “Between Heaven and Earth,” curated by David Elliot.
Art Hong Kong, May 2011, curator of informal education program delivered 30 Guerrilla Talks and Interviews with David Elliot, Hans Ulrich Obrist, Chris Doyle, Ashley Bickerton, Yan Pei-Ming, Doryun Chong, among many others.
Intelligence Squared, London, Nov 2010, Saatchi Gallery Debate with Alexandra Munroe, Iain Robertson, Sarah Kent and others.
Rossi & Rossi Gallery, Apr 2010 London, in conversation with Leang Seckon.
BBC World Service, London, Mar 2010, interview with Hariet Gilbert for The Strand.
Daneyal Mahmood Gallery, New York, Dec 2009, in conversation with Justine Cooper.
Rossi & Rossi Gallery, London, Sept 2009, Erbossyn Meldibekov, exhibition tour.
Art Basel 09, Jun 2009, Good Words, Good Thoughts & Good Deeds, with Lida Abdul & Fereydoun Ave.
Sharjah Biennial, March Meetings, Mar 2009 Tashkent Biennial 5.
Gallery Nev/ Sotheby’s Istanbul, Dec 2008, in conversation with Hale Tenger & Nazif Topcuoglu.
Galerist/Sotheby’s Istanbul, Dec 2008 in conversation with Leyla Gediz & Taner Ceylan.
ShContemporary Shanghai, Sept 2008 Practices of Everyday Life: New Image Making in West & Central Asia, with Reza Aramesh, Yael Bartana, Ergin Cavusoglu, Erbossyn Meldibekov and Sophia Tabatadze.
Tate Modern, London, Mar 2007, presented a paper on Presence and Absence in Live Art.
Tate Modern, London, Feb 2007, presented a paper on Informal Architectures in Central Asia symposium February 2007
Westminster University, London, Oct 2006, guest lecture Foot Traffic: Contemporary Urban Performance.
PSI 12 Queen Marys University, London, Jun 2006, guest lecture on The Built, Un-Built and Un-Buildable.
Bishkek Historical Museum, Kyrgyzstan, Sept 2005 In the Shadow of Fallen Heroes: Iranian Contemporary Art.
San Jose University, California, USA Infiltration of Public Spaces: Reza Abdoh and Ibrahim Quraishi, September 2005
PSI 11 Brown University, Rhode Island, USA, Apr 2005, paper on The Beautification of Violence within the work of Reza Aramesh, Lida Abdul & Paula Roush.
South London Gallery, London, Dec 2004, ShowCASe Preview, exhibition curator’s tour.
ZKM, Karlsruhe, Germany, Dec 2004, paper on “Taziyeh: Performance and Informal Theatre.”
Artquest, London “Emerging Curators,” London, Nov 2004, (panel) with Nav Haq, Emily Pethick, Adelaide Bannerman and Mark Walsh November 2004
Artsadmin, London “Process, Performance and Strategy within the work of Adrian Piper,” (panel) September 2004
South London Gallery, London, August 2004 Power, Surveillance and Performativity in the City, on the work of Paula Roush, within the frame of the exhibition Perfectly Placed.
South London Gallery, London, August 2004 Borrowed Where? On the work of Goshka Macuga, (chair) Within the frame of the exhibition Perfectly Placed.
Lawrence O’Hana Gallery/ Iran Heritage Foundation, London, Feb 2004, in conversation with Reza Aramesh.
